Electrode for cutting and welding under water



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Patented May 8, 1951 ELECTRODE FOR CUTTING AND WELDING UNDER WATER Werner Hummitzsch, Kapfenberg, Austria, as- "signor to Gebr. Buhler & Co. Aktiengesellschaft, Vienna, Austria Application February 27, 1948, Serial No. 11,855 In lGermany May 30, 1941 Section 1',A Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires May 30, 1961 Claims. 1

Electrodes for welding and cutting purposes under water consisting of a soft iron core-wire, having a coating of oxides and a water resistant varnshed coating are well known.

It is desirable to use an electrode having a waterproofed coating with a burn-olf and a rate of breaking away adjusted to maintain a clearance between the work piece and rod. This is to enable the diver to weld with the electrode put onto the Work.

Such electrodes can be used for flat welding under Water and for undcr-water-cutting, however, use of these electrodes for a vertical and overhead weldingv is substantially impossible.

This invention includes the use of a cored wire as a rod core having a wick and coating selected to meet the special requirement of use under water for vertical and overhead welding. The coating is protected by a Water-resistant varnish to prevent the coating from dissolving in water. By properly adapting the wick, Wire, and coating it is possible to ensure the specific properties required for use under water. f

An under-water-cutting-electrode has to be suitable for use in all positions with emcient performance. It is required to display a minimum burn-olf, deep penetration and high cutting rate. Y

All these 4 requirements can be met by suitable combining of ,wire and coating material. In the case of a comparatively great proportion of wick being used in the cored wire, amounting e. g. to 5-10% of the wire cross-section, strong ionization occurs in the arc, resulting in a high depth and force of penetration.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying ldrawing in which the single iigure illustrates a cross sectional View through an electrode in accordance with theinvention.

Y Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral l designates a hollow wire provided with a filling or core 2, constituting a Wick, the outer surface of the wire being provided with a coating 3 of a mixture of mineral oxides and ferro alloys as set forth hereinafter and being further protected by an outer coating or skin 4 of a water resistant and electrically insulating Varnish.

The ingredients making up the wick consist of Aoxides of the alkali earth metals with possible additions of metals, ferro alloys and salts of the alkali metals. Other requirements, such as low electrode consumption, is met by alloying metals contained in the wire, the wire being alloyed with manganese, silicon and certain additions of zirconium and titanium. It is zirconium combined with silicon that effects a retarding of the burno. The composition of the core wire is in the range ofthe following limits:

. Per cent The coating serves the purpose of supplying the oxygen required for the burning process. Mixtures of the following components have proved to be applicable:

(1) Titanium ore, quartz, Kaolin and ferromanganese. Y

(2) Iron-mica, serpentine and ferro-manganese.

Kaolin or serpentine may be substituted by aluminum, silicates and partly by talcum.

The main component of all coatings is an :ore consisting of the oxides of iron and titanium or iron alone. The silicates are to form the slag.

The ferro-manganese supplies additional heat resulting from the heat of its reaction with the ore.

A cutting performance permitting the use of the electrodes in any position is obtained by combining a cored wire with the suitable coating. The surfaces cut are smooth. It is possible to perform vertical cuts in a downward direction. The resistance of the arc is reduced by the wick.

The voltage drop between workpiece and electrode amounts to 28 to 40 volts if a coated cored Wire is used whereas rods without coating have a voltage drop of 35 to 50 Volts under identical conditions.

The consumption of energy of under-watercutting electrodes is accordingly decreased when cored wire is used instead of normal wire.

The cutting rate of a coated cored wire electrode 350 mm. long, is 29-35 cm. p. min. in the lcase of a 5 mm. gauge sheet and vertical downward cut. A similar electrode without wick having a cutting speed of but 24-30 cm. p. min. the quality of the cut being much inferior. The waterproof varnish is to protect the coating, celluloseacetate-base varnish dissolved in acetone or any air-drying insulating varnish as used in usual electrical practice, being suitable. Under water paints are equally applicable providing strong adhesion of coating and varnish are secured. No considerable effect of the varnish on the cutting performing has been observed.

It is essential that the electrodes allow welding in all positions Without causing deep undercutting. The under-Water electrodes for welding purposes as distinguished from cutting electrodes are required to have a fast melting wire and to yield sucient depth of penetration. This demand is met by a cored electrode containing but a small proportion of wick consisting of easily ionizing components and having a cross section percentage of 1 to 3% or a larger proportion of wick may be used e. g. 5-7% of the cross section using ingredients more diicult to ionize, as e. g. the oxide of iron or titanium or their mixtures. A wire of the following composition may be used:

Per cent C 0.5-0.20 Si 0l.100 50 Mn 0.30-1.00

Copper, nickel, molybdenum and aluminium may be added. Equally small amounts of titanium and zirconium.

To provide for easier guidance oi the electrode in all positions the cored wire is covered with a coating consisting of mineral components. A suitable coating is indispensible for reliable and steady welding. The following mixtures have provide suitable for coatings:

(l) Mixtures of feldspar, carbonates of the alkali earth metals, titanium ores and ferromanganese.

2) Mixtures of limestone, uorspar and ferromanganese.

The coatings may contain organic ingredients as further additions. The varnish not only prevents the coating from dissolvingv in water but provides stability of the arc. It supplies carbonmonoxyde additional to the gas evolved by the burning of the organic matter contained in the coating, preventing the water from coming into contact'with the arc. A moisture-proof insulating varnish as it is used in the electrical practice 'has provedsuitable. The under-water Welding electrodes described above secure steady welding in all positions. They can successfully be applied for vertical welding in a downward direction. The welds made are sound and free of notches.

The under-Water cutting `electrode initially described may equally be used for welding under water if an amperage suitable for cutting is applied. Their performance is however inferior as compared to welding electrodes.

It is possible to combine both properties in an electrode by accordingly adapting the properties of the wire.

I claim:

1. An electrode useful for both Welding and cutting under Water by merely varying the applied current thereto for either purpose, comprising a cored wire having compounds ionizable in the electric arc as said core material, said core comprising 1 to 10% of the cross section of the combined wire and core, said cored Wire being coated with a mixture of mineral oxides and ferroalloys and being further protected by an outer coating of a water resistant and an electrically insulating varnish.

2. The electrode as defined in claim 1 wherein the wir-chas a composition in the range of the following limits:

Per cent C 0.05 to 0.30 Si 0.30 to 1.00 Mn 0.50 to 2.00

and .10 to 0.50% of an element selected from the group consisting of zirconium and titanium, the balance being substantially iron.

3. The electrode as .defined in claim 1 wherein the outer coating comprises a mixture of substantialquantities .of the mineral oxides, ilmenite, quartz, kaoline, feldspar and the ferroalloy, ferromanganese.

4. The-electrode as defined in claim 1 wherein theouter coating consists of a mixture in substantial quantities of iron-mica, serpentine and ferromanganese.

5. The electrode as defined in claim 1 wherein the varnish consists of .a cellulose derivative applied asa solution in acetone.

WERNER HUMMITZSCH.

REFERENCES, CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,321,309 Holslag NOV. l1, 1919 1,324,227 Carpenter Dec. 9, 1919 1,451,392 Holslag Apr. 10, .1923 1,501,266 Brace July 15, 1924 '1,898,933 Biers Feb. 21, 1933 V1,972,067 'Pennington Aug. 28,1934 .2,000,861 Miller May 7, 1935 2,141,995 Leitner Dec. 27,1938 2,141,996 Leitner Dec. .27, 1938 2,394,550 Jensen Feb. 12, 1946 2,410,461 Ronay Nov. 5, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 409,293 Great Britain Apr. 24, 1934 417,195 Great Britain Oct. 1, 1934 459,715 Great Britain Jan. 8, 1937 534,744 Great Britain Mar. 17, 1941 

